Engine-starting apparatus



April 9, 1929. F. c. KROEG ER 1,708,226

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Original Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l N u i] 72 7072 23 April 9, 1929. c KROEGER 1,708,226

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS briginal Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m WQ MMM Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK C. KROEGER, F ANDERSON,

MENTS, TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION,

DELAWARE.

INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 1, 1924, Serial No. 703,531. Renewed March 29, 1928.

Thisinvention relates to starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, particularly to a type of apparatus including an electric motor operating a gear which is movable into engagement with a gear connected with the engine.

Among the objects of the invention are the connecting of the motor gear with the engine gear and the operating of the motor by manual operation, for example by means of a starting lever and the demeshing of the motor gear from the engine gear automatically when the engine starts regardless of whether the starting lever is still maintained in the engine starting position. One of the advantages of the invention is the elimination of an overrunning clutch between the motor armature and the motor gear, said clutch being used in similar devices heretofore to protect the motor in case of failure to demesh the motor gear after the engine becomes self operative.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

' In the'drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view partly in section of'a starting motor and gearing includinga form of the invention, the apparatus being in normal or inoperative condition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1 of the motor controlling switch;

' Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; I r

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the motor switch in one of its operative positions to produce low torque operation of the motor;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 5 showing the motor gear meshed with the flywheel gear and the switch in position to cause high torque operation of the motor; and

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram illustrating the circuits included in the presentinvention.

gear housing including a bracket 21 for supporting the housing upon an engine frame, not. shown, the engine being represented by the flywheel gear 22. Housing 20 supports Referring to the drawings, 20 designates a a motor field frame 23. By means of a bearing not shown the frame 23 supports the motor shaft 24 having one end journalled at 25 in the gear housing 20. The shaft is provided with a spirally splined or threaded portion 26 which engages an internally threaded motor gear 27 carrying a flanged washer 28 projecting beyond the periphery of the gear.

The device for meshing the gear 27 with the gear 22 includes a bifurcated lever 29 pivoted upon shaft 30 carried by the housing 20, the bifurcations of the lever being connected by a yoke 31 and the ends thereof being rounded at 32 to engage a grooved collar 33. Between the collar 33 and the end 34 of the armature core there is located a spacer 35. A spring 36 coiled around the shaft 30, has one end 37;bearing against the gear housing 20 and the other end 38 bearing against the yoke 31. Between the grooved collar 33 and the gear 27 is located a spring 40 held in an initial state of compression by means of spring housing members 41 and 42 which limit the separation and members 33 and 27. Housing member 41 is attached as shown in Fig. 1 to the collar 33, and is provided with a flange 43 connected with a flange of the member 42 by lugs 44 integral with flange 45 and bent around flange 43. Member 42 is provided with an opening 46 which is large enough to clear the motor gear 27 but is smaller in diameter than the external diameter of washer 28.

The manually operable means for moving the gear shifting device includesa lever 50 pivoted on shaft 30 and bifurcated as shown in Fig. 2 to provide arms 51 which engage yoke 31 of lever 29 when lever 50 is moved counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. Between the forks of lever 50 there is a pivotally mounted sleeve 52 through which may slide a switch plunger 53 which is threaded at 54 to receive nuts 55, 56, 57 and 58. The nuts 55 and 56 adjust the relation between the plunger 53 and the sleeve 52. The switch case or the motor control switch includes a U-shaped member 60 provided with cars 61 which are secured to the field frame 23 by screws 62. The end walls of the switch case are shown at 63 and 64 and are provided with slots 65 for receiving tongues 66 integral with the side wall portion 60, the tongues 66 being bent over the exterior of the ends 63 and 64. End walls 63 and 64 provide bearings for the switch plunger 53, which (between said walls, is provided with a shoulder member 67 against which is normally placed a slidable sleeve 68 held in such position by a spring 69 bearing against the end wall 64. A movable switch contact 70 having annular conical contacting surfaces 71 and 72 is attached to the sleeve 68 but insulated therefrom. The top wall 73 of the U-shaped member 60 insulatingly supports stationary contacts 74 and 75, the contact 75 being the head of a terminal bolt 76. A screw 77 attaches one end 78 of a resistanceelement 7 9- with the contact 74, and the other end 80 of said resistance element is included between washers 81 and 82 secured by nut 83; and, consequently the resistance 79 isattached to the terminal bolt 76. The field frame 23 insulatingly supports terminal bolt attached to a contact 91 having contacting surfaces 92 and 93, said contact 91 being insulated from frame 23.

Referring to Fig. 7, by means of the terminal bolt 90 the contacts 92 and 93 are connected with the motor field winding 94 connected with armature brush 95, and the brush of opposite polarity 96 being grounded. The terminal bolt 76 is connected with a battery 97 which is grounded.

The spring 69 moves the plunger 53 to the left in the drawings when the plunger is released andthe spring 100 included between the exterior'of the switch housing end 64 and a washer 101 placed against the nut 58, tends to move the plunger 53 to the right of the drawings. The springs 100 and 69 are in opposition and tend to restore the contact 70 to a position between contacts 74 and 75 as shown in Fig. 4. The normal position of contact 70 can be varied by adjusting the nuts 57 and 58.

The operation of the invention is as follows The lever 50 is moved counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 5, first to cause the switch contact 70 to connect the contacts 74 and 92. This event will take place before the gear 27 is meshed with the gear 22 and will cause the resistance 79 to be placed in series withthe battery and motor in order to produce low torque and initially slow rotation of the m0- tor. The counterclockwise motion of lever 50 is continued after the connection of contacts 74 and 92 has been made in order that gear 27 may be placed in mesh with the gear 22.

The meshment of gear 27 with gear 22 is resisted by spring 36 but after these gears are engaged as shown in Fig. 6 the spring 36 cannot retract the gear 27 until after the engine becomes self-operative. This condition is dependent on the fact that the spring 36 is only stiff enough to prevent drifting of the gear 27 into mesh accidentally with the gear 22. Consequently this spring is too weak to retract the pinion 27 after it has been engaged with the gear 22 so long as the gear 22 is in the driving member.

While the low torque rotation of the motor may assist in completing the enmeshing of the gears 27 and 22 after gear 27 has once engaged the gear 22, yet it is apparent that the slow rotation of the motor is not necessary for gear engagement except in a case of an abutment of the faces of the teeth of gear 27 with those of gear'22. In case of tooth abutment the low torque motion of the motor will produce registration of the gears for-engagement. Since motion from the collar 33 to the gear 27 is transmitted through the spring 40 it is apparent that, in case of tooth abutment the pressure'of the end faces of the gear teeth will be limited. Therefore this pressure cannot be so great that the friction resulting therefrom will prevent rotation of the motor.

During the low torque operation the gear 27 can be moved until it strikes against a stop collar 110 attached by pin 111 to the shaft 24. Thrust washers 112 are located between the collar 110 and a' machine surface 113 provided upon the interior of the housing 20. After the gear 27 arrives at this position as shown in Fig. 6 the motor shaft will cease turning although the switch contacts 74 and 92 are still connected, because the low torque operation of the motor is not sufficient to crank the engine. The next operation is to move the lever 50 clockwise into the position shown in Fig. 6 thereby causing the contact 70 to engage the contacts 75 and 93. This effects the high torque motion of the motor as will be apparent in Fig. 7. While the lever 50 is in this position the lever arms 51 will have been sufiiciently removed from the yoke 31 that the'lever 29 may be moved to normal position regardless of whether the lever 50 hasv been released. Although the motor may still be operating due to the connection of contacts 75 and 93, as soon as the engine becomes self operative and .becomes the driving member with respect to the motor gear 27, the gear 27 will be automatically demeshed due to the spiral spline connection between the shaft 24 and the gear 27. As prevoiusly explained the demeshing of the gear 27 is assisted by the spring 36 which also prevents drifting of the gear 27 into mesh with the flywheel gear. The normal position of the lever 29 when the gear 27 is demeshed is indicated in the dotted line position 29 in Fig. 6 which corresponds to. the full line position in F ig. 1. It will be noted that there is still a clearance between the arms 51 of lever 50 and the yoke 31 of lever 29 when the lever 29 is in the position indicated at 29 in Fig. 6. When the lever 50 is released it will be returned by' the spring 100 to a position such as shown in Fig. 1 causing the contact 70 to be located between the contacts 74 and 75 and contacts 92 and 93 so that I an, overrunning clutch between the motor armature shaft and the motor gear which has been heretofore applied in devices of this type to protect the motor armature from overspeeding in case of failure to demesh the motor gear from the engine gear after the engine starts. Since automatic demeshment is possible regardless of the status of the starting lever overspeeding of the motor is eliminated.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

I 1. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear; an electric motor; a gear connected with the motor; means including a member manually movable in one direction for causing the motor gear to engage the engine gear, and in the opposite direction for causing the motor to crank the engine; and means for automatically demeshing said gears when the engine starts.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear; an electric motor; a gear connected with the motor; means including a member manually movable in one direction for causing the motor to operate with low torque movement to facilitate gear meshing and for causing the motor gear to engage the engine gear, and in the opposite direction for causing the motor to crank the engine; and means for automatically demeshing said gears when the engine starts.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, anengine having a gear; an electric motor; a shaft driven thereby; a gear spirally splined on the .motor shaft; and means including a member manually operable in one direction positively to move the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear, and movable in the opposite direction to cause the motor to crank the engine and to a position such as to permit automatic demeshing of the motor gear from the engine gear when the engine starts.

4. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear; an electric motor; a shaft driven thereby; a gear spirally splined on the motor shaft; and means including a member manually operable in one direction to produce low torque rotation of the motor to facilitate gear meshing, and positively to-move the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear, and movable in the opposite direction to cause the motor to crank the engine and to a position such as to permit automatic demeshing of the motor gear from the engine gear when the engine starts.

5. Engine starting apparatus comprlsmg, in combination, an engine having a gear; an

electric motor; a shaft driven thereby; a motor switch; a gear spirally splined on the motor shaft; a gear shifting member adapted to move the motor gear in either direction; a manually operable lever movable in one direction to engage said member to move the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear, and in the opposite direction to close the motor switch to cause the engine to be cranked and to release said gear shifting member whereby automatic demeshment of the motor gear may take place when the engine starts; and spring means-holding the gear shifting member normally in gear demeshing position.

6. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear; an electric motor; a gear driven thereby; motor control means including a contact movable in one direction to cause low torque movement of the motor and in the opposite direction to cause the motor to operate with high torque; and means for actuating the switch contact into either of its positions and for connecting the motor gear with the engine gear.

7. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, arr-engine having a gear; an electric motor; a gear driven thereby; motor control means including a contact movable in one direction to cause low torque movement of the motor and in the opposite direction to cause the motor to operate with high torque; and means for actuating the switch contact into either of its positions and for connecting the motor gear with the engine gear; and spring means for automatically restoring the contacts to circuit opening position when said actuating means is released.

8. Enginestarting apparatus compris1ng,1n combination, a motor, an engine gear, means for connecting the motor with the engine gear and including a pinion and provlslons whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts, manually operable means for moving the pinion into engagement with the engine gear With yielding pressure and for causing the motor to rotate the pinion with relatively low torque while the pinion is yieldingly pressed against the gear in order to mesh the pinion with the gear in case of gear tooth abutment prior to meshing; and means for causing the motor to operate to crank the engine.

9. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; an engine gear; a shaft operated thereby; a pinion rotatable with the shaft and movable along the shaft into mesh with the engine gear; driving connections between the shaft and pinion such that relative rotary motion between the shaft and pinion is accompanied by relative axial motion; manually operable means for moving the pinion into engagement with the gear with yielding pressure and for causing the motor to operate with relatively low torque while the pinion is yieldingly pressed against the gear in order to mesh the pinion with the gear in case of gear tooth abutment prior to meshing; and means for causing the motor to operate to crank the engine.

10. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; an engine gear; a pinion driven by the motor and movable into mesh with the engine gear; manually operable means including a member movable in a certain direction to cause the pinion to engage the gear, and in another direction to permit demeshing of the pinion, and to cause the motor to crank the engine; and means for automatically demeshing the pinion from the gear when the engine starts.

11. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; an engine gear; a pinion driven by the motor and movable into mesh with the engine gear; manually operable means for causing the motor to operate with low torque to facilitate gear meshing and including a member movable in a certaindirection to cause the pinion to engage the gear, and in another direction to permit demeshing of the pinion and to cause the motor to crank the engine; and means for automatically demeshing the pinion from the gear when the engine starts.

12-; Engine starting apparatus compris ing, in combination, a motor, an engine gear; means for connecting the motor with the enginegear and including a pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; and manually operable means including a member movable in a certain direction to cause the pinion to engage the gear, and in another direction to permit demeshing of the pinion and to cause the motor to crank the engine.

13. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor, an engine gear; means for connecting the motor with the engine gear and including a pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; andvmanually operable means for causing the motor to operate with low torque to facilitate gear meshing and including a member movable in a certain direction to cause the pinion to engage the gear, and in another direction to permit demeshing of the pinion and to cause the motor to crank the engine.

14. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; an engine gear; a shaft operated thereby; a pinion rotatable with the shaft and movable along the shaft into mesh with the engine gear; driving connections between the shaft and pinion such that relative rotary motion between the shaft and pinion is accompanied by relative axial mot-ion; manually operable means for moving the pinion into engagement with the gear with yielding pressure and for causing the motor to rotate the pinion with relatively low torque while the pinion is yieldingly pressed against the gear in order to mesh the pinion with the gear in case of gear tooth abutment prior to meshing; manually operable device for causing the motor to operate to crank the engine; and an actuator which moves in a'certain direction to operate the manually operable means and then moves in a different direction to permit demeshing of the pinion and to operate the manually operable device.

15. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electric motor; an engine gear; means for connecting the motor with the engine gear and including a pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the gear when the engine starts; a motor circuit controller having a manually operable member movable in one direction to effect low torque operation of the motor and inanother direction to effect the engine cranking operation of the motor; and a manually operable member movable in a certain direction to move the pinion into engagement with the gear and to move the circuit controller operating member in the direction to effect low torque operation of the motor, and movable in a different direction to permit automatic demeshment of the pinion and to move the circuit controller operating member in a di-v rection to effect the engine cranking operation of the motor. i

16. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electric motor; an engine gear; means for connecting the motor with the engine gear and including a pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the gear when the engine starts; a motor circuit controller having a manually operable member movable in one direction to effect low torque operation of the motor and in another direction to effect the engine cranking operation of the motor; a pinion shifting lever; and a manually operated lever movable in one direction to operate the pinion shifting lever and to operate the circuit controller for effeet-ing low torque operation of the motor, and movable in the opposite direction to clear the pinion shifting lever and to move the circuit controller actuator in a direction to effect the engine cranking operation of the motor.

In testimony whereof I hereto affixmy signature.

FREDERICK C. KROEGER. 

